1 General
1.1 To the extent permitted by law, Northland Ferries excludes liability for indirect or consequential loss arising from your use of our services, including disruption to travel plans, loss of enjoyment, loss of profit, accommodation costs, missed connections, or similar losses.
1.2 This exclusion is subject to any rights or remedies you may have under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 (where it applies) and any other non-excludable rights under New Zealand law.
1.3 You must comply with all reasonable directions given by Northland Ferries staff and crew. We may delay, cancel, amend, substitute, or refuse carriage where reasonably required for safety, operational reasons, or to comply with applicable laws, regulations, licenses, consents, approvals or lawful directions from relevant authorities.
1.4 Sailings, schedules, loading order, crossing times, and service availability may be affected by weather, sea state, tides, operational requirements, emergencies, or safety considerations. Timetables not guaranteed.
1.5 New Zealand’s accident compensation scheme generally provides no-fault cover for personal injury and limits civil claims for damages for covered personal injuries. Nothing in these Terms limits any rights you may have under ACC or other applicable law.
2 Dangerous Goods
2.1 Northland Ferries has legal obligations to manage the carriage of Dangerous Goods. Please declare all dangerous goods to your crew.
2.2 The expression “dangerous goods” includes, but is not limited to, compressed gases (flammable, non-flammable or poisonous such as camping gas, butane, oxygen, propane, aqualung cylinders), corrosives (such as acids, alkalines, wet cell batteries, mercury and apparatus containing mercury), explosives, munitions, fireworks and flares, flammable liquids and solids (such as lighter or heating fuels and articles easily ignited), radioactive materials, oxidizing materials such as bleaching powder and peroxides, poisons (such as arsenic, cyanides, insecticides and weed killers), infectious substances (such as bacteria and virus cultures), other dangerous goods such as magnetised material, offensive or irritating materials or anything likely to cause damage to the Vessel or inconvenience or injury to any person or thing on board it.
2.3 The operator, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to refuse the passenger and/or their Vehicle access to the Vessel in the event that they have failed to declare dangerous goods in their possession and/or applicable limits are exceeded, any applicable laws or regulations have been breached or if the dangerous goods pose an unacceptable risk to the Vessel, crew, Company employees, passengers, cargo or the environment.
3 Unaccompanied Freight
3.1 Northland Ferries does not accept unaccompanied freight except by prior arrangement and approval. Please contact us should you wish to discuss.
4 Animals
4.1 Guide and certified service dogs are welcome onboard our passenger and vehicle ferry services.
4.2 Other animals and pets are at the discretion of the skipper on the passenger ferry and must be on a lead or in a carrier at all times.
4.3 On the vehicle ferries, all animals or pets must be retained in the vehicle, or if you are a walk-on passenger, it must be on a lead or in a carrier at all times.
5 Right to Refuse Carriage
5.1 Our staff may at any time refuse to carry you, or remove you from any vessel if any of them believe in their sole discretion:
5.1.1 That such action is necessary for your safety, or the safety of our staff or any other person;
5.1.2 That such action is necessary to avoid damage to our vessel and equipment, or the possessions of any other person;
5.1.3 You are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or you are smoking where not permitted, or you are behaving in a manner that is or may become dangerous, unlawful, offensive, abusive, intimidating or unreasonably disruptive to our staff, any passenger, or any other person;
5.1.3 That such action is necessary to comply with these terms, or any applicable laws, regulations, licenses, consents, approvals or lawful directions from relevant authorities.
5.2 You refuse to obey a reasonable request made by our staff.
5.3 You cannot prove to the satisfaction of our staff that you are the owner of the Resident or Frequent User card that is offered for payment (including where you cannot provide a matching photo ID when requested).
5.4 You have previously committed an act of a type referred to in this section, and our staff reasonably believe that such act may be repeated; or
5.5 We have previously advised you in writing that you are not permitted to use our services.
6 Frequent User
6.1 Frequent User cards are available to anyone who wishes to apply for a card and pay for their ferry use via prepayment.
6.2 Frequent user cards allow passengers to access a 10% discount on standard fares (unless otherwise stated for specific fare types, products or promotions).
6.3 The Frequent User Card remains the property of Northland Ferries and may not be used by anyone other than the account holder.
6.4 The card cannot be sold or transferred to another user.
6.5 Northland Ferries reserves the right to refuse, cancel or suspend a card due to any breach of the company’s terms and conditions, and in such cases, a refund may not be given for any outstanding credit, subject to any non-excludable rights under New Zealand law.
6.6 An application and handling fee of NZD $15.00 per card applies to the initial issue and triennial renewals (unless otherwise stated by Northland Ferries from time to time).
6.7 Replacement of a lost or stolen card will incur a fee of $10 per card.
6.8 The cardholder is responsible for any card use until the card is reported lost or stolen to the Northland Ferries admin team during office hours 8.30 am – 4.30 pm, Monday to Friday, by phone or email.
6.9 Any credit balance on a lost or stolen card will be transferred to the new card at the discretion of Northland Ferries
6.10 Credit held on a card can be refunded to the cardholder; however, an admin fee may be incurred, and this service is only available by contacting the Northland Ferries team via email or phone. This will be refunded by credit card or direct credit.
6.11 Credit on multiple cards cannot be combined onboard the ferry to pay for a single fare.
6.12 Your account can be topped up online, or on the ferries; however, we highly recommend utilising the online portal for efficient travel.
6.13 Northland Ferries reserve the right to cancel or suspend the Frequent Card Holder service, or to amend prices, discounts, fare types, or surcharges at any time.
6.14 Multiple cards can be issued to one account where supported by the portal.
6.15 Photographs or electronic copies of cards cannot be accepted.
7 Resident Membership
7.1 To apply for a Resident Membership card (“Resident Card”), you must have your primary place of residence within the eligible postcode areas listed in clause 7.2. This programme is for personal (non-commercial) use only.
7.2 Eligible postcode areas are: 0200,0202, 0204,0272,0184.
7.3 “Primary place of residence” means the address where you normally live most of the time. Holiday homes/baches, short-stay accommodation, or an address used only for convenience are not primary residences for the purposes of this programme.
7.4 When applying for or renewing a Resident Card you must provide complete, accurate and up-to-date information. Northland Ferries may request proof of residency at apllication, renewal, and at any time if eligibility is in doubt or misuse is suspected.
7.5 You will be required to provide proof of residence that links your full name to your eligible primary residential address and shows an issue date. Acceptable proof of residence includes (but is not limited to) a utility bill/statement (for example power, fixed internet, water), rates notice, or a current signed tenancy agreement. Northland Ferries may accept other documents that reasonably verify residency and may refuse documents that do not clearly show your name, eligible address, and issue date. Please note that mobile phone bills or car registrations will not be accepted as proof of address.
7.6 Unless otherwise agreed by Northland Ferries, proof of residence must be reasonably current:
(a) utility/bank/government correspondence is generally issued within the last 90 days;
(b) rates notices within the last 12 months; and
(c) tenancy agreements must be current and signed.
7.7 Resident Cards are issued to an individual and include photo identification. A photo must be uploaded at the time of online application and at card renewal. Northland Ferries may request additional identification to confirm that the cardholder is the person using the card.
7.8 Family affiliate cards (where offered) are for immediate family members under 18 years old residing at the same eligible address.
7.9 If affiliate cards are available for adults, each adult (defined as 18 years and over) must complete their own application and provide their own proof of address. If Northland Ferries offers student-specific settings within the programme, proof of current enrolment may be required.
7.10 One person/one card (fares paid per cardholder).
(a) A Resident Card may only be used by the named cardholder.
(b) The Resident Card (and any Resident fare/discount it enables) applies only to the cardholder’s own travel and cannot be used to pay for, or provide a Resident fare/discount for any other passenger, including other adults travelling with the cardholder.
(c) Trips are charged per cardholder/passengers, and each eligible person must use their own Resident Card (or linked under-18 family/affiliate card where offered and applicable).
(d) The only exception is where Northland Ferries offers and has approved under-18 family/affiliate cards linked to an eligible household under clauses 7.9 and 7.26.
7.11 Cards are valid for three (3) years from the time of activation, unless cancelled or suspended earlier under these Terms.
7.12 Cards used on or after the expiring date will be required to pay full price on the ferries until renewed and active again.
7.13 To renew a card, you will be required to provide updated proof of residence and have your photo ID renewed.
7.14 The Resident Card remains the property of Northland Ferries and may not be used by anyone other than the cardholder.
7.15 The card cannot be sold, shared, lent, or transferred to another user.
7.16 Refusal/decline/suspension/cancellation. Northland Ferries reserves the right to decline, pause, refuse, cancel or suspend an application, renewal, or card (including suspension pending investigation) due to any breach of these Terms, the company’s wider terms and conditions, or suspected misuse. This includes (without limitation) where:
(a) you do not meet eligibility requirements (including postcode/primary residence);
(b) the documents provided are not acceptable, not current, do not clearly show your name and eligible address, or do not reasonably verify residency;
(c) information provided is incomplete, inconsistent, false, misleading, or cannot be reasonably verified;
(d) we cannot reasonably verify identity or residency;
(e) unauthorised use is suspected (including use by someone other than the cardholder);
(f) you engage in unwelcome, threatening and/or offensive behaviour toward Northland Ferries staff, crew, contractors, agents, passengers, or any other person in connection with our services; or
(g) applicable fees are not paid.
In these situations a refund may not be given for any outstanding credit, subject to any non-excludable rights under New Zealand law.
7.17 There is no application or renewal fee at present for the Resident Membership card. If Northland Ferries introduces a fee in the future (for example for issue and/or triennial renewals), Northland Ferries will notify the cardholder before it applies and publish the fee amount.
7.18 Replacement of a lost or stolen card will incur a fee of NZD $10.00 per card.
7.19 You are required to pay full price on board the ferries if your card has been lost, stolen, expired, or is not available for use at the time of travel.
7.20 The cardholder is responsible for any card use until the card is reported lost or stolen to the Northland Ferries admin team during office hours 8.00am – 4.30pm, Monday to Friday, by phone or email.
7.21 Any credit balance on a lost or stolen card may be transferred to a new card at the discretion Northland Ferries.
7.22 Credit held on a card can be refunded to the cardholder; however an admin fee may be incurred. This service is only available by contacting the Northland Ferries team via email or phone. Refunds are made by credit card or direct credit (as applicable).
7.23 Credit on multiple cards cannot be combined onboard the ferry to pay for a single fare.
7.24 Your account can be topped up online or on the ferries; however, we highly recommend utilising the online portal for efficient travel.
7.25 Northland Ferries reserves the right to cancel or suspend the Resident Membership service, and to amend prices, discount levels, eligible fare types, or surcharges at any time. Where reasonably practicable, Northland Ferries will provide notice via its website, portal, email, or other reasonable channel.
7.26 Multiple cards can be issued to one account where supported by the portal; however each card must have a unique user and photo. Where the portal supports linked/affiliate cards, affiliate cards on the same account may share the credit. The account holder is responsible for all activity on linked/affiliate cards on that account.
7.27 Resident Cards are for personal use only and are not intended for commercial use. Commercial use includes using the card to support a business or paid service (for example transporting staff/contractors/customers for business purposes, or repeated use primarily for business activity).
7.28 If your application or renewal is declined, you may reapply or request a review by providing additional supporting documents. Northland Ferries’ decision after review is final.
7.29 An auto reload/recharge of your credit may be available via your personal account.
7.30 Northland Ferries will not be responsible for fraud resulting from the sharing of personal account details or passwords with others.
7.31 Northland Ferries may collect and use personal information in line with our privacy policy.
7.32 You must present the physical Resident Card when travelling (or use an approved alternative method if Northland Ferries makes one available). Photographs, screenshots, or electronic copies of cards are not accepted.
8 Portal
8.1 Application for Frequent User and Resident Membership cards can be made online. Where the portal requires it, each adult cardholder must have their own unique email address. Where the portal supports linked/affiliate cards (including child cards), those cards may be managed under a primary account.
8.2 Resident Membership cards will be sent by post or available for collection at the designated agent. This selection can be made in the application process. Cards made available for collection at the designated collection point need to be collected within 7 days.
8.3 The cards are not available for pickup on the ferries.
8.4 The top-up of Resident Membership cards can be done online through your account.